Breathe
by SakuraGirl25
Summary: Steve felt the glass shatter beneath his weight and then he was plummeting through weightless air. SLASH


**A.N: This little oneshot wouldn't stop bothering me until I wrote it.**

**Warnings: None really.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

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**Breathe**

Steve felt the glass shatter beneath his weight and then he was plummeting through weightless air. Hands instinctually grasped for anything to halt his descent but received only empty atmosphere. Damn. Was this it? Were these the last seconds of his life? And when he still had so much to do? Aquamarine eyes gazed up at the glass raining down glinting like mobile diamonds. His life flashed before his eyes at light speed, slowing only to fully play out today.

Steve lay on his side watching Max sleep in the increasing sunlight. He loved the man next to him like an unreserved fool and that scared him. He ran gentle fingers through inky black hair and over the serene features of the face he adored.

He'd never committed to any relationships before Max, unwilling to be tied down. But then he'd met the quirky M.E. and the little nerd had taken him by storm, flipping his world on its side. After he finally gathered enough gumption to confess his feelings they became a couple and things changed. His perspective changed. Now, almost four years later he was still with Max, strings attached with all the fixings and he couldn't be happier. Max tethered him to their world joining their hearts. Sometimes he wondered if he loved Max too much.

The sound of a baby whining pierced the tranquil silence of the room. He looked to the baby monitor on the nightstand.

Max wakened, mumbling incoherently in his drowsy state.

"Shh, go back to sleep, I'll get him."

He tossed the covers aside and rose, clad only in a pair of shorts. He strode out of the room and to the bedroom that used to be his home gym—which happened to be in the garage now. A smile blossomed in his eyes at the sight of his son. "Good morning little guy."

He stopped before the crib and plucked the child sitting in the crib. "What's wrong huh?" Then the stench hit his nose. "Shit." He blinked from the terrible odor accosting his nostrils. "Jeez Ben what the hell?" He was tempted to wake Max so he could change their son's toxic diaper but he sucked it up and strode to the changing table.

Moments later he dumped the soiled diaper and used the wipes to cleanse his hands. How the hell could such an odor come from such a tiny person? "Okay done with that."

Ben began to whine before it graduated into a shrill cry.

"Shh. Alright let's go get you something to eat." He patted his son's back—wondering at the adorable panda bear onsie—and went downstairs to fix a bottle.

Ben continued to cry the entire process, not understanding the concept of waiting for food.

Steve patted his son's blonde curls, cooing softly to him. "Shh panda it's coming." He bounced him soothingly, waiting for the bottle to warm in the machine. After it was warm he returned to the nursery, sat down in the rocking chair, and began feeding his son.

Ben immediately latched onto the bottle and began sucking greedily.

Unconditional love filled him as he gazed into vivid sapphire eyes. He had a dream job, he was with the man that held his heart, and they had a beautiful child. How the hell did he get so lucky? The answer still eluded him.

He withdrew the bottle once it was empty and began patting the infant's back in an effort to coax a burp. A chuckle escaped him when Ben let loose a rather loud burp. "How old are you?" He grinned at the gurgling baby staring back at him. "Alright little guy it's nappy time."

Ben yawned snuggling his head into Steve's neck.

He hummed to his son as he rocked him—the last time he sang Ben cried—until the child drifted off into rest. Standing carefully, he laid the sleeping infant in the crib, kissing his forehead softly. He took a moment to gaze at his baby's cherubic features, heart melting at the sight. "Sleep well little guy."

He found Max awake when he returned to bed. "Good morning love." He leaned over pressing a kiss to his love's mouth, stretching next to him. "Ben is asleep."

Max's eyes glinted lustfully.

* * *

"Babe I'll mow the lawn when it gets cooler. It's like an oven out there," Steve explained using the juicer to liquefy an orange.

Max sprinkled black pepper on the omelet. "I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, but you gave me 'the look'." He smiled when the juice dripped into his cup. "Man I love this thing."

"I don't have a look."

"Yes you do," he disagreed. He dropped another orange into the machine watching it work its magic with glee.

Max rolled his eyes. "If I do it's because I've been around you too long."

Steve's eyes glittered. "And that's a bad thing?"

"Not terribly." He replied, leaning over to kiss Steve's cheek.

"What the hell are you two feeding my godson? Kid's getting heavy." Danny stated upon entering the kitchen, Ben snuggled in his arms.

"Formula," Max stated a question in his eyes.

"Does it have Miracle-Gro in it?"

And that statement started a round of friendly banter.

They finished breakfast before leaving. The couple dropped Ben at the Loving Hands daycare—Steve getting shamelessly hit on by Ms. Winters—and left for work.

* * *

Steve sat in his office staring contemplatively at the white gold ring studded with a single sapphire sitting in the small case. He scrambled to hide it when his office door opened; sighing when he saw it was only Danny.

"You've still got that ring?" He strode to the desk resting a hip on it. "What's it been? Three months? That's half of Ben's life."

Steve sent a distracted glance to the blonde.

"Scared of being completely committed?"

"Hell no. I want to grow old with Max." He cast another glance to the ring.

"But..." Danny prompted.

"What if he says no?"

"Is that all? Max has put up with your shit for almost four years, he loves you. You two live together, you have a kid, your workout equipment has been moved to the garage, and you mow the lawn every Saturday. You're already married the only thing you need is a ring and a ceremony."

A microscopic smile passed over Steve's mouth. "I guess I'll find out his answer tonight."

Danny's brow rose. "You popping the question tonight?"

Steve nodded nervousness barely perceptible.

"About damn time. So how are you going to do it? Are you going to take him to his favorite restaurant?"

"No."

"Oh god, please tell me you're not going to do some corny shit like put it in his champagne glass or on top of a cupcake or something."

"No. It's just going to be me and him. I don't want strangers witnessing something private between us."

Danny nodded in concurrence. "Good man. Well, good luck, although I already know the answer." He thought for a moment. "I am going to be your best man right?"

Steve gave a sly smile.

* * *

They received a case that kept them all on their toes, scrambling to find the young heiress that had been kidnapped. The trail led them to a human trafficking ring but the raid, although successful in disbanding the ring still proved ineffective to their first objective. Rebecca was not present. Fortunately after some aggressive 'coercion' from Steve and Danny one of the suspects played the stool pigeon and pointed them to an uptown hotel.

Steve entered the empty room, senses tweaked to their peak. His eyes fell to the woman bound to the headboard of the bed. He holstered his weapon after making sure the room was clear and strode to her.

"Thank god you're here," she breathed, mascara staining her cheeks.

"I'm gonna get you out of here." He notified the others that he had Rebecca Hill and began undoing her binds. What felt like a freight train collided with him and he found himself slamming into the wall. Gathering his wits quickly he looked to the large man bearing down on him. It was never easy was it?

The two men scrambled all over the room, breaking furniture in their struggle. Steve used his speed and polished skill to combat the massive man's brute strength. A sucker punch caused stars to burst in his vision but he ignored them, adrenaline fueling his system. He'd just gotten the better of the man with a bruising punch to his larynx in combination with a gut shot that sent him to the floor. That is when things took a nasty turn.

"Stop!" He heard the click of gun.

Anger sizzled through him when he saw the gun aimed at him. Fuck. He raised his hands. All the shit they'd been through to rescue her and the goddamned cow was in on it. What type of person turned their own cousin over to human traffickers? Cold-hearted bitch. "You don't want to do this."

She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Yes I do now go stand in front of the window… NOW!"

Steve begrudgingly obeyed. Fuck his luck.

"Now, you're going to take a little fall. A shame you're so hot."

The impact from the four bullets she shot into his chest sent him through the window. His whole day played out in an inkling; the images flittering within the shards of glass.

He had not harness, grappling hook, or parachute to ensure his life. No, he was freefalling to his death. This could not be it. He still had to ask Max to marry him, he still had to hear Ben's first word, hell he still had to mow the damn lawn. It could not end like this.

A hand appeared out of nowhere, grasping his wrist to halt his descent. He looked up into the face of his partner. Never in their entire partnership had he been so happy to see Danny's face. "Danny." His gaze shifted to the ground below, breaths coming in gasps.

Danny cast him a smile. "I got you."

Working together they managed to get Steve into the empty hotel room. "You alright?"

Steve gave himself a moment of respite before answering. "Rebecca's in on it."

Danny shook his head ruefully. "This is gonna screw up a lot of lives."

"Yeah it is." He ordered Kono and Chin ho to make sure no one made it in or out of the hotel while he and Danny swept the seventh floor again.

They'd been successful in apprehending Rebecca and her accomplice. In the end though, the media crucified the Hill family, their name disgraced. During the media swarm Steve rushed home to put the finishing touches on his dinner.

* * *

Max's brow furrowed at the outdoor deck's transformation. Lanterns hung from the posts giving a soft intimate glow, slow music played in the background, his favorite food sat upon the table with a chilling bottle of champagne next to it. Max looked down at his own dressy attire then at Steve. "It is not our anniversary."

"No." He escorted Max to the table, thinking how adorable he looked with his brow furrowed in contemplation.

"So what is the occasion?"

Steve kissed his love's cheek softly when he saw his eyes squint. "Max don't think about it, just share this moment with me."

Max sighed but nodded and sat down in the chair.

They ate in companionable silence when not engaging in conversation. Steve fidgeted with the box in his pocket. Strange how a single object would change his life. He hadn't felt butterflies in his stomach since…ever.

"You are fidgeting."

He looked up from his half-eaten meal. "So?"

"You never fidget." He eyed him with something akin to worry. "What's wrong?"

Steve took in a deep breath. Now or never McGarrett. "Do you love me Max?"

Max canted his head, brow furrowed at the unfamiliar question. "More than my own life. Steve what is it? Are y-." He stopped when Steve placed a small black box on the table. He looked from Steve to the box several times before almost timidly picking it up.

"Max I'm not good at these things. So…I love you like no other and-." He cleared his throat feeling like it was constricting around his vocal chords. "I know I can be hard to live with sometimes but the truth is that I…I revolve around you." Lord help him through this sentimental gauntlet without him feeling like a total sap.

Max's cocoa gaze fixed upon him unwaveringly.

"What I'm trying to say is that I want to spend the rest of my life at your side. The question is do you want the same?" He dug his nails into his thighs, swallowing to wet his parched mouth.

Max looked at the white-gold band and sapphire stud, then up to the other male. "I would be both elated and honored to."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

A positively radiant smile graced Steve's face and he stood, walking to his fiancée's side. He slipped the ring onto Max's finger hardly able to constrain the joy fluttering through him. He leaned forward and captured strawberry lips with his own. The kiss was tender at first but soon transformed into a smoldering lip lock that had them both stumbling to the bedroom.

Steve gazed into the coffee eyes mirroring his. His breath hitched at the uncharacteristically unguarded emotions rippling through those beautiful eyes. Soon he would be married to the man that was his saving grace. Smiling, he kissed the hand with the ring on it before lacing their fingers together. He'd almost been denied this opportunity but thanks to Danny's intervention he was in a state of jubilance. He grinned when graceful fingers flittered over his clavicle.

"You're taking my last name right?" He asked the smaller man nuzzling his neck.

Max sighed and gave him a soft smile. "We shall see."

Steve grinned like a madman. He had finally found the one that saved him from a life of solitude. And soon he would join with him in marriage. A delighted exhalation fled his lungs and he rolled over on top of the smaller man. He was definitely looking forward to the coming months.

**END**

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**A.N.: Yay! I finally managed to finish this oneshot. I hope you enjoyed it and if you did drop me a review.**

**Ciao ^_***


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